Electrical valve-controlling- device



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

A. E. OOLGATB. ELECTRICAL VALVE GONTROLLINGDBVIGE.

Patented June 7,1898.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2,

V A. E. OOLGATE. 'ELEGTRIGAL VALVE CONTROLLING DEVICE.

an M UNITED STATES-l PATENT prion.

ARTHUR E. COLGATELOF NEIV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGN OR TO GEORGE J. SCHOEFFEL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL V LVE-CONTROLLING DEVICE.

srncrrrcn rrourormin part of Letters Patent No. 605,197, dated June '7, 1898. Application filed May 28, 1896- Renewed April 1,1898. Serial No. 676,136. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known" that I, ARTHUR E. Consult, a citizen of the United States, residin g at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Electrical Valve-Controlling Devices, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention is an improvement upon the electrical whistle or valve controlling devices described in Letters Patent No. 553,900,issued Februaryd, 1896, which devices are'mainly designed for use on ships. In that patent is shown an automaticcircuit-controller for operating a steam-whistle consisting of an electric motor driving a rotating circuit-breaker, (constituting an automatic controller,) a magnet for controlling the supply of current to said motor and a hand-switch for permitting the operation of the whistle at will. In my present arrangement I employ a clock-movement as the automatic circuit-controllerfor the whistle and a modified form of magnet for controlling the circuit to the clock-movement and an improved weatherproof handswitch for controlling theapparatus at will, and by means of a modified form of handswitch the controlling-magnet is in some cases dispensed with. a

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of one form of controlling apparatus; Fig. 2, asimilar View of the form in which the controlling-mag net is dispensed with; Fig. 3, an elevation of the weatherproof switch for controlling the apparatus at will; Fig. 4:, a vertical central section of the same, showingthe switch-con; tacts arranged for the form'of apparatus illustrated in Fig; 1. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the switch-plate employed with the arrangement of switch-contacts shown in Fig. 4:. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail-views of the switch-coir tacts employed with the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 2; and Fig. 9 is a view of the interior of the hood employed with the switch.

Referring to Fig.1,A indicates the steamwhistle, whose valve is operated by electromagnet A. This magnet is controlled automatically by a circuit-controlling clock B and controlled at will by the hand-switch 0 through a relay D. The details of construction of the hand-switch are illustrated in Figs. 3 to 9, inclusive. The valve-operating magnet A is shunted by a high-resistance shuntcircuit containing sparking-points A and a resistance A?, which may be an incandescent electric lamp.' The object of this shunt-circuit is to receive the discharge from the magnet A when the circuit is opened at either the clock or hand-switch. The circuit connections are as follows: from binding-post 1 by wire 2 to armature D of relay D, contact 3, wire 4 to automatic switch in clock 13, from said switch by wire 5 to binding-post 6 through magnet A to binding-post 7 and Wire 8 to binding-post 9. The batteries E or the cir- 'cu'it-wires from some other source of currentsupply are connected to binding-posts 1 and 9. The circuit connections just indicated include the automatic controller B, and with the connections so established in practice the circuit to magnet A would be closed periodically by the automatic controller B and 0perate the whistle on each closure of the circuit. To operate the Whistle at will, the switch 0 is moved so that switch-plate 9 will bridge the contacts 10 and 11, thus closing the shunt-circuit 12 13 to relay D. The relay becoming energized attracts its armature, which makes contact with stop 14, closing the 'shuntl5 and cutting out the automatic controller. I v

In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 2 the relay D is dispensed with and a three-contact switch is employed. The circuit connections areas follows: from binding-post 1 by wire Ztobinding-post 3, through magnet A to binding-post 4: and wire 5 to binding-post 6, from-binding-post 6 through the automatic switch in clock B to binding-post 7, wire 8 to terminal 9 of hand-switch O and contactplate g to terminal 10, wire 11 to bindingpost 12, and wire 13 to binding-post let. The batteries E or the circuit-wires from some other source of current-supply are connected to the binding-posts l and 1,4. The circuit connections, as indicated, represent theautov automatic controller from the circuit, the disk f is turned by the switch-handle in the direction indicated by the arrow until switchplate 9 is in contact with terminal 10 only, which leaves the circuit open entirely. Further movement of the switch places switchplate 9 in contact with terminals 10 and 15, closing the circuit direct to the whistle. A further movement of the disk f carries switchplate 9 onto contacts 9 and 15, which opens the battery-circuit entirely, and the whistlevalve will remain closed until the switchplate 1 is moved backward onto contacts 10 and to blow the whistle fora signal or forward onto contacts 9 and 10, placing the automatic controller into circuit again to blow the whistle periodically, as in a fog.

The hand-switch, which is designed to be weatherproof, is illustrated in detail in Figs. 3 to 9, inclusive, in which a is a circular body, having a ilange a, provided with screw-holes whereby the switch is supported. Into the circular body a is screwed a hollow cylindrical body Z), which when the parts are assembled is held against removal by a screw 1). \Vithin the body I) is a circular base 0 of insulating material, into which the contact posts (Z are screwed, as shown in Fig. l. The base 0 is slotted at c to engage a lug on the inside of body Z) to hold the base against 1'0- tation and so that the contact-posts carried by it will have a definite position with relation to the switch-plate. The lower ends of posts (Z are provided with hollow heads, into which circuit-terminals are inserted, as will be hereinafter stated.

Through the upper part of the cylindrical body 1) passes a spindle e, carrying atits lower end a disk f, of insulating material, provided with a switch-plate 9, adapted to make contact with the ends (1. of the contact-posts d, which project through the insulating-body c. The lower end of the spindle 0 preferably passes through the insulating-base c, an d a pin 6 passes through the spindle and serves to hold together the parts described to enable those parts to be readily assembled with the remaining parts of the switch. The part of the spindle c which passes through the base 0 is preferably reduced so as to form a shoulder, and the head 0 is capable of slight vertical movement on the spindle 6, so as to permit the contacts to better adjust themselves when the parts of the switch are assembled, and when assembled the base 0 is firmly held in position between the shoulders 11 and a of the bodies a and Z). The disk f is loosely carried on the spindle c and held from rotation by a spline A coiled spring 7L, seated between the disk f and the collar 6 on the spindle, serves to maintain the switclrplate in close contact with the ends (Z' of the contact-posts d.

The bearing in the upper end of the chamber Z) through which the spindle 6 passes is made water-tight by rubber packing-rim gs 't' and 2" and a packinga'ing 2 The joints between the bodies a and l) are made watertight by two rubber packing-rings a The circuit-wires are formed into a heavilyinsulated cable a;, which passes through the shell 3;, into the upper end of which is seated a base of insulating material, secured in position by a screw 0;. The wires from the cable pass through holes in the insulatingbase to binding-posts y and which are connected, respectively, with the circuit-terminals and 2. These circuit-terminals are split rods adapted to fit into the hollow heads of the contactposts (Z, as shown in Figs. 4. and G. The portion of the cable which extends through the shell in is wrapped with insulating-tape a'", and the entrance of the cable is made water-tight by a rubber packing-ring at and cap The shell 0; is so cured to the main body portion a, and terminals and are forced into contact with posts (Z by a screw-collar :0 screwing onto the screw-threaded extension a of the body a, the collar 1.1; having a liange in engaging with the shoulder of shell 0;. Between the end of the extension a and a shoulder with-- in the collar 50 is placed a packing-ring w".

To prevent the entrance of water arouml the spindle e, the spindle is provided with a hood 7;, which is seated upon a shoulder formed at the upper end of the spindle c and firmly secured in place by a nut 7;, a watertight joint being formed between the spindle c and hood by means of white lead. To turn the spindle in operating the switch, a handle Z is provided, which has a serew-threaifled end Z screwed into the base of the hood, and the end of the screw-threaded portion 1 enters a recess in the spindle, as shown in Fig. i, so that the spindle will turn with the bandie and so that the handle and switclnplaie Q will have definite positions when the switch parts are assembled. To prevent the handle Z working loose, I provide a set-screw The hood 7.; is provided with ribs 7.1 forming notches 7s" and It". A spring-plateau, secured to the lower end of the body 0, engages with these notches and serves to hold the switch in the various positions to which it may be set. The spring-plate m is preferably V- shaped in erosssection, so that the notches 7.5 may be readily disengaged to permit the turning of the switch.

The construction of the switch employed with the two forms of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is practically the same, the only difference being that in the arrange-- ment shown in Fig. 1 two contact-posts are employed, while in the other form three eon- L.

tacts are employed. Fig. 6, however, illustrates a further modification, which may also be employed in the two-contact switch. This difference consists in making the contactposts (Z hollow at both ends and inserting spring-pressed contact-buttons d in the upper ends,with which the switch-plate 1 makes contact. In this arrangement the head f, carrying the switch-plate g, is rigidly secured to the spindle e by means of a pin f. The

arrangement of contact-buttons illustrated in Fig. 6 permits the contact-buttons to adjust themselves against the switch-plate and insure perfect contact.

What I claim is-- 1. The combination with a valve, of a mag-- net for controlling the same, acircuit extending thereto, an automatic circuit-controller for periodically opening and closing said circuit, and a single hand-operated switch for controlling the operation of the valve at will and also for controlling the connection of the automatic controller with the valve-magnet circuit, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a valve, of a magnet for controlling the same, a circuit extending thereto, an automatic circuit-controller for periodically opening and closing said circuit, a magnet for cutting said automatic controller out of circuit, and a single hand-operated switch for controlling theoperation of the valve at will and also for controlling the operation of said last-named magnet toconnect or disconnect the automatic controller in circuit, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a valve, of a magnet for controlling the same, a circuit extend ing thereto, an automatic circuit-controller for periodically closing said circuit, and a hand-switch having three contacts and a contact-plate adapted to bridge one pair of said contacts to place said automatic controller in the magnet-circuit to periodically open and close said circuit and to bridge another pair of said contacts to close the magnet-circuit at will, and which contact-plate assumes intermediate positions at which both the automatic controller is cut out of circuit and the magnet-circuit is opened, substantially as set forth.

4. In a weatherproof electrical switch, the combination with a cylindrical and practically water-tight casing, of a set of contacts within the casing carried by a base of insulation, a rotating switch plate adapted to make contact with said set of contacts, a spindle projecting through the casing for rotating said switch-plate, said plate and set of contacts being adapted to move relatively to each other in a direction lengthwise of the spindle, a hood on said spindle extending over the top of the switch-casing, and a handle for rotating the spindle, substantially as set forth.

5. In a weatherproof electrical switch, the combination with a cylindrical and practically Water-tight casing, of a set of contacts within the casing carried bya base of insulation, a rotating switch plate adapted to make contact with said set of contacts, a spindle projecting through the casing for rotating said switch-plate, said plate and set of contacts being adapted to move relatively to each other in a direction lengthwise of the spindle, a hood on said spindle extending over the top of the switch-casing, a handle for rotating the spindle, and means cooperating with said hood for holding the spifidle in its various positions, substantially as set forth.

, 6. In a weatherproof electrical switch, the combination 'with a practically water-tight casing, of a series of contacts within said casing carried by a stationary base of insulation, a rotating switch-plate adapted to make contact with said series of contacts, a spindle projecting through the casing for rotating said switch-plate, said switch-plate and said series of contacts being adapted to move relatively to each other in a direction lengthwise of the spindle in addition to the relative move- -inent of rotation, and an operating-handle for said spindle, substantially as set forth.

7. In an electrical switch, the combination with a stationary base of insulation carrying a series of spring-seated contacts, of a rotating switch -plate adapted to make contact with. said series of contacts, a spindle for. rotating said switch-plate, said series of contacts being held in intimate contact with said switch-plate by the springsuponwhich they are seated, sockets carried by said stationary base of insulation, contact-posts adapted to enter said sockets, said sockets and contactposts being arranged to permit slight movement toward and away from each other without breaking contact, and an operating-handle for said spindle,-substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 22dday of May, 18216.

ARTHUR E.-COLG1lTE.

Witnesses:

- EUGENE CONRAN,

W. PELZE'R. 

